BACKWARD GLANCES — Redwood soldier first to be drafted in the U.S., ever

Friday

Nov 8, 2013 at 12:01 AM

See what was happening in Redwood Falls 50, 25, and 10 years ago this week

Joshua Dixon, Staff Writer

1963—50 years ago• The Redwood Falls Public Library took a controversial move by adding a rack for paperback books.Head librarian Mrs. Bernard Woresch commented that buying of “pocketbooks” was “an increasing trend in public libraries, although sometimes we are criticized for taking over the lowly paperbacks.”• A Gazette Veterans Day story recalled how during World War I 46 years earlier, in 1917, Edgar E. Winn of 213 W. Chestnut Street was the very first American soldier to be drafted into the army in a national draft. • An item on the Redwood Falls School Board’s agenda stated, “We checked on a wench...the kind they have is too large.”The correct word, of course, was “winch”.• Dave Ewen’s hunting trip near Grand Rapids was unusually successful: he came back with both a 150 lb. 10-point buck and a 200 lb. black bear.• Fanny the Elk — a resident of the Ramsey Park zoo for over a quarter century until she was released by vandals in 1957 and never returned — was killed by a hunter while visiting the Frank Baldwin farm about three miles southwest of Redwood Falls.

1988—25 years ago• The first housing in Redwood Falls designed from scratch to be handicapped-accessible — a duplex on E. Oak Street — opened for occupancy.• In Reede Gray Elementary School’s mock election, George Bush defeated Michael Dukakis 444-219.• The Redwood Falls-Morton school district became one of 16 in the state to create a new stress-handling program in case tragedy or a major crisis hit the schools.• Teleview of Redwood Falls offered a 90-day trial offer: eight channels of cable television for only $12.95 per month.• The police department offered a reward for anyone who could help apprehend the vandal who smeared paint stripper on the passenger sides of seven parked vehicles during Halloween night.

2003—10 years ago• The Cardinals football team ended its historical season by falling to a strong Delano team 40-15 in the first round of the State Football playoffs.• Incidentally, it was eight degrees above zero during that football game. In an informal survey of Redwood Valley fans in the bleachers, approximately two-thirds of them listed their toes as the part of their anatomy in most danger of falling off.• Dustin Burgemeister of RVHS was the Southwest Minnesota High School Bowling League most valuable player, with an 82 percent fill-average. • Long-time Redwood Falls Hospital surgeon Dr. Gregory Kaminski died at 70. When he graduated from medical school in Warsaw, Poland in 1954, he was both the youngest and highest ranked member of his medical class.• For the Festival of Trees fundraiser for education assistance, the kindergarten students of Sangree Elementary School in Summerville, South Carolina donated a tree with the theme “I Spy the Alphabet.”